The headwaters of the river rise in the Whicher Range and flow north crossing the Bussell Highway near Vasse before discharging into Geographe Bay near Abbey about 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of Busselton.[3] The river has three main tributaries of Dawson Gulley, Ironstone Gully and the other is not named. In total the river has a stream length of over 100 kilometres (62 mi).[4]
The river and the Carbunup River have fishery resource issues in common.[5]
The river flows through agricultural land that is predominantly used for raising beef and dairy cattle and to a lesser degree plantation timber and viticulture. The area has been settled since 1834 when the Bussell family established a cattle station along the Vasse River. More farming families followed and now over 50% of the catchment is used for cattle farming.
The name of the river was first recorded by a surveyor in 1839 and is Aboriginal in origin but its meaning is unknown.[6]
